District Attorney Gordon P. McLaughlin announces expanded protocols for Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) investigations. These expanded protocols have been adopted by all 12 law enforcement agencies in the 8th Judicial District, which covers Larimer and Jackson counties.

Since 2015, Colorado law requires law enforcement agencies and District Attorneys’ offices to form a multi-agency team to investigate and review certain officer-involved shootings. The purpose of the law, and the goal of the Critical Incident Protocol, is to ensure an unbiased, thorough, and prompt approach when reviewing these serious and complex incidents. While the 8th Judicial District has formed a multi-agency review team since 2005, the District Attorney’s office led a full review of the protocols throughout 2022. Significant collaboration from all involved agencies resulted in a new and unanimously approved protocol. 

The District Attorney and local law enforcement agencies in the 8th Judicial District have expanded the protocol further to include mandatory consultation regarding officer-citizen incidents which result in any party being seriously injured, whether or not a firearm was used. By expanding the scope of incidents that are reviewed, the District Attorney’s Office and law enforcement aim to be even more comprehensive, transparent, and responsive to community interests and safety. The new protocol has also broadened and encouraged additional consultations when matters of public trust may be at issue. 

“Public trust in law enforcement and the criminal justice system is vital to the safety and fairness which we all endeavor to ensure in our communities,” says DA McLaughlin. “These robust, unbiased, and transparent procedures will not only ensure there is accountability at multiple levels but will also give our community the knowledge and framework to have faith in the results of these investigations. Expanding our review to include all incidents causing serious injury will ensure the public can trust these significant events are being taken seriously and reviewed independently.”

Part of that public trust comes from the participating agencies’ trust and reliance on the established CIRT process, trainings, and ongoing commitment to each other agency that the case will be fairly and thoroughly investigated. In order to maximize transparency in the process, the 8th Judicial District CIRT now posts the entire CIRT protocol on the District Attorney’s website  and the DA publishes comprehensive decision letters on CIRT incidents which go above and beyond the level of detail required by law. These are available on the District Attorney's website.

Additionally, DA McLaughlin will begin hosting virtual town halls following completed CIRT investigations and the issuance of opinion letters. These virtual town halls will be a chance for community members to get a comprehensive understanding of the CIRT investigation process, further understand the facts of the specific incident, and ask clarifying questions. The town hall format will be modified or may not occur if charges are filed against any involved person based on Colorado legal and ethical standards and to protect the rights of the accused. Recordings of the virtual town halls will be posted on the District Attorney’s website.